Wednesday, November 28, 2007

The 28 match unbeaten run is over. Still undefeated in the league for the year but it's weird to have to write about a defeat, since we haven't had one since I started writing this blog. I didn't get to see the match because I've been working like a Chinese slave in a sweat shop making shoes but I did see the highlights and I realized that we were quite bad yesterday. The good news is it probably doesn't matter all that much. We're still already qualified for the next round and I think we can play with any team that will still be in the competition so I'm not that worried. We can still finish top if we win the last game of the group stage and Sevilla gets a draw or a loss. You can bet they will be going all out to win though because I'd doubt they are as confident as we are in this tournament.

So as for the match, just a couple things. Their first goal was pretty much a gift from Senderos, who it appears I have been wrong about. I really thought he would be up to the task this year but it appears he has gone downhill from the Champion's League Final run two years ago. He just never looks comfortable and makes too many dumb mistakes. He can win headers and he can really put in some hard tackles but he gets sent off too much and makes mental mistakes and I think it might be time for him to be gone. Djourou will be coming back and maybe we could bring in another defender (still want Micah Richards).

The rest of the match I have no real comment on besides Eduardo's goal. He looked really cool and collected bringing down the cross and slotting it home and I wonder where in hell that has been all year. I know he hasn't played much but it never seems like he scores in a league match and he needs to bloody get on with it. Maybe this one will help him out some.

Arsene Wenger was sent to the stands in the match and he was a tad pissed about it. He said he didn't even know why he was sent off and then when they made him go he couldn't get into the stand and so he fumbled around wondering where to go.

"When I was down (on the touchline) I said it was naive to let him gain that time. The fourth official was really difficult for the whole game. I wanted to ask him why I had been sent off."

Monday, November 26, 2007

Yes, Arsene Wenger is going to rotate the squad for tomorrow's match versus Sevilla. If we win this one we clinch the top spot in the group, which would be good because I think you do have better luck against a second seed than a first. I don't think we would play Liverpool if they do qualify either, because I don't think you can play another English side yet? Maybe that's totally wrong but I think I heard that.

"Some players will be rested for Sevilla. I will rotate and it will be maybe a similar side to that against Slavia."

If you watched the match against Slavia you know that we were a bit shite and got a 0-0 draw with our first shot on goal coming in the 85th minute. Although it's not a crucial game I'd like for us to win it and clinch the top spot. Perhaps we'll see Gilberto get a game in midfield, which would be nice to watch and also it should make him a bit happier than he has been this year. I doubt Cesc will play although since he missed the Wigan match Wenger may play him some to keep him on form.

"I have played under some fantastic captains but I think William deserves to be mentioned among those names because he is such a strong figure.

"He has great maturity in a really young team and that's so important.

"The young players listen to him because they respect him so much."

Gallas had another great performance against Wigan, with a goal and some good defense and he has shown himself to be quite a good captain so far. Hopefully he can keep the team together through this next month because it will be quite a rough one. I know at one point we have three away matches in a row. That will be a test for us and as you know we also play Chelsea.

Speaking of Chelsea, Cuntley Cole has been talking again. He's saying how he'll show the Arsenal fans something after they threw money at him at Stanford Bridge. As we all know Cole is a money-grubbing cunt and he deserves everything he gets. Like how his team have a fat twat like Frank Lampard, and how we are top of the league and have a better left back now that he is gone.

"Compared to what happened to the England guys, I am sure I will get much worse when I go back to Arsenal," Cole said in the Daily Mail.

"But I am used to it, and I am looking forward to the game. I want to go there and play them because I did not get to play there earlier this year.

"I will go there and front up. I am a grown man. They (the Arsenal fans) threw money at me at Stamford Bridge, and that was bad, but I get that every game. I love it.

"It would be nice to go there and shut some people up. It's going to be tough though."

Hopefully Gilberto or Kolo or Gallas decide to shove a foot down his throat.

And that's about all for today. Work is killing me so I haven't been able to write much but I'm trying to keep up. Match tomorrow. Up the Gunners.

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Another three points and really a great result considering what happened in the Man U and Chelsea games this weekend. United lost to Bolton somehow, and Essien got sent off for Chelsea, so he'll miss the game against us in a couple of weeks.

But on to our match, we had a bunch of injuries. Hleb, Fabregas, Gilberto, Diaby, and Flamini were all out, and since that is like our whole midfield, it was clear there would be a lot of changes to our lineup. So Wenger came out with this group:

So it was a young and, apart from Rosicky, unexperienced starting midfield, and with Walcott up front it really was a very young lineup as a whole.

We started off with some good movement but it didn't turn into many chances for us. Walcott looked good and created some space with his pace but like I said, we just couldn't convert any of the movement to shots. Eboue I thought was a bit crap on the wing. He missed a real sitter in the first half, just whiffed it completely, and I just don't think he's all that good on the wing. Anyone else agree?

Wigan had a few chances in the first half. In the 25th minute Marcus Bent I think it was had a good chance for a header but he sent it over the bar and that was the only real chance they had in the first, along with a through ball that Bent was caught offsides on .

So at the half it was 0-0. We were definitely on top in the game but last I checked you don't get three points for being in control of the possession and it was definitely getting frustrating for the fans if not the players and Mr. Wenger.

With the second half I really thought we would see Bendtner or Eduardo come on for Walcott, but it took awhile. We went with the same lineup for the first twenty or so minutes of the second when Eduardo came on for Eboue, which was a good change. He added more attacking power to the side and we seemed to push forward even more, but Wigan kept hanging on.

There was a bit of a scuffle a bit later, as Denilson was hacked down and I think I saw someone kick him while he was on the ground. I was howling for a red card and apparently so was Kolo who ran towards the opposing player and told him to piss off or he'd kick his cunty face in. Gallas then ran in and got into a shoving match with Heskey who had just come on. Gallas and Heskey both got yellows and everyone else got nothing. Ridiculous really.

I thought for sure Wigan would be down to ten men yet again in the 80th minute when Heskey grabbed Walcott from the back and pulled him down from the neck. It should have been a second yellow but apparently the ref drank his bollocks juice before the match so he didn't give him any card at all. Walcott had to be stretchered off but the boss says he'll be ok. It was a bit worrying because he didn't look like he was moving at all but I'm glad he's alright.

The first goal came in the 83rd minute, when Gallas charged forward into the box and Sagna found him with a good chipped cross. Gallas made no mistake and sent it into the opposite corner of the net to make it 1-0 to the Arsenal. He had his Mr. T mohawk and he looked quite ecstatic when he scored. I think he's really enjoying his play right now and I enjoy when players enjoy playing.

Almost right after we scored again. Bendtner, who had come on for Walcott, made a nice pass to Rosicky who had a perfect finish that hit off the far post and in. So 2-0 to Arsenal and you really knew it was over at that point.

So it finished 2-0 to us, and we're three points clear at the top of the league with a game in hand. Pretty bloody brilliant. Cheers fellow gooners, enjoy being top of the league.

Friday, November 16, 2007

So I haven't written forever and I could come up with a multitude of excuses like how I got a new job (true), have been coaching my Under 12's for a tournament next month (true), or how I lost all my fingers in a cooking incident and have been unable to type ever since. That one is false. But anyways, how have Arsenal been doing during my time you say, and what does the Arsenole have to say about it, being the leader in Arsenal nonsense. Well I suppose for the day back I'll just ramble on about that.

The League: We're a little over a quarter way into the Premiership season and we are still undefeated. Usually your table position after ten games is a good sign of what we'll see at the end of the season, and we couldn't be in a better place than first. We got through that rough patch at Liverpool 1-1 and home to Manchester 2-2 before we got winning again finally at Reading 3-1. Adebayor finally scored again, it had been like five or six matches I think and he said it was affecting his confidence but he should be on track now, so expect seventeen goals vs Wigan. We need to keep up our good form and come back from the break strong against Wigan because after that we have Chelsea which is always tough. Two draws against them last year so we'll need to improve on that this year.

Champion's League: Only game that happened while I was on my voluntary leave of absence was the return trip to Sparta Prague. I actually watched all of that game and it was probably the biggest waste of time in my entire life. It finished 0-0 and was completely boring. We didn't even have a shot until the 85th minute. Nobody had a great game and nobody was complete shite either but it did put us through to the knockout rounds.

Alright so that'll keep everyone up to date if you guys didn't read the interweb at all during my absence which is highly unlikely. Now onto some news, not that there is all that much.

Abou Diaby says he's not getting enough first team football and he's not happy about it. When asked about his future he said he likes being at Arsenal but he may look to move clubs next summer if his opportunities don't increase. I think every player in our squad must think they should start every game or something. I feel like Diaby has been in plenty of games considering he is still only 21 and is developing but it'd be a shame to lose him. He has plenty of quality and I really hope he stays.

The Telegraph has a story about us looking into Gabriel Agbonlahor, which is a horrible name for an announcer to have to shout I would think. They say we'll try to bid 15 million quid for him which is rubbish. He's not even worth half of that. He may be a good player someday but he is definitely not worth that much now.

Kolo Toure's brother, Yaya, says he wants his Barcelona team to play Arsenal in the Champion's League. It would be a real clash of titans to get two legs vs them but I don't want it yet. Be a better tie later in the competition. But can you imagine when Henry returns to play against us at the Emirates? It will be interesting.